John Piper – Ever-Existing, Never-Becoming, Always-Perfect

This morning I was reading from Bob Kauflin’s book Worship Matters and I came across this wonderful quote by John Piper on the the ever-existing, always-perfect God. So here ya go…

From all eternity the ever-existing, never-becoming, always-perfect God has known Himself and loved what He knows. He has eternally seen His beauty and savored what He sees. His understanding of his own reality is flawless and His exuberance in enjoying it is infinite. He has no needs, for He has no imperfections. He has no inclinations to evil because He has no deficiencies that could tempt Him to do wrong. He is therefore the holiest and happiest being that is or can be conceived…. To share the experience – the experience of knowing and enjoying His glory- is the reason God created the world.”

- John Piper

I praise God that He has redeemed me to learn of His greatness. I await the day when hope becomes reality and my eyes will see and my mind will conceive His glory. I await the day when sin and its deception are done away with as I behold the glory of the LORD.

Reginald Heber – Holy, Holy, Holy!

Holy, holy, holy!

Though the darkness hide Thee,

Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;

Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,

Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

- Reginald Heber

Oh that my eyes would see; that my mind would taste of the perfect nature of the triune God. You are Holy; perfect in power, love, and purity. Oh that I would know you LORD.

Amen.

Calvin Quoted #6 – On Future Hope

The hope of a future life maintains itself, and dares to exult and glory, because the foundations on which we stand rest on the glory of God. For, according to the Apostle, though the faithful are now wanderers and pilgrims on earth, yet their confidence raises them so far above the heavens as to make them cherish in their bossoms, with calmness and tranquillity, the hope of their future inheritance.”

- John Calvin

Calvin Quoted #5 – Law and Gospel

The law is nothing else but a preparation unto the Gospel. The faithful cannot profit in the Gospel until they shall first be humbled, which cannot be until they come to a knowledge of their sins. It is the proper function of the law to call the consciences into God’s judgement, and to wound them with fear. Christ is promised only to those who are humbled, and confounded with the sense of their own sins.”

- John Calvin

His Favor is upon us

I was reading this morning from the Psalms and this verse caught my eye and brought comfort and hope to me.

For you bless the righteous, O Lord;

You cover him with favor  as with a shield.” - Psalm 5:12

What a great peomise to hold on to. As you may know we have been going through some tough times as of late. Uncertainty clouds our thoughts and vision. It’s always easy to get discouraged when we fail to see the big picture; that Christ redeemed us, made us righteous, and showers us with His favor for His glory and our good.  May I count it all joy as we face various trials and setbacks. He is working in us for the glory of His great name. Blessed be His Holy Righteous name. Amen!

John Piper – Jesus Satisfies All Your Thirsts

John Piper – God’s Gift of Himself for you

If God is to love you, what must he give you? He must give you what is best for you. The best thing in all the universe is God. If he were to give you all health, best job, best spouse, best computer, best vacations, best success in any realm, and yet withhold himself, then he would hate you. And if he gives you God and nothing besides, he loves you infinitely.”

- John Piper

Jesus Wants the Rose!!! Matt Chandler

Jesus’ Purpose in Coming, Dying, and Rising

Jesus came… was crucified… rose from the dead with all authority and promised to be with us to the end of the age  to create a people whose sins are forgiven, and whose hearts are full of the love of God, and who are so emboldened by the triumphant Christ, that they spend their lives with risk and sacrifice and love to help others know and enjoy the greatness of Christ forever and ever.”

-John Piper

Calvin Quoted #4 – If Heaven be our Home

If we believe heaven to be our country, it is better for us to transmit our wealth thither, than to retain it here, where we may lose it by a sudden removal.”

-John Calvin

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6-19-21

Calvin Quoted #3 – Resembling God

There is nothing in which men resemble God more truly than in doing good to others.”

- John Calvin

It isn’t faithfully reading the Bible, praying, going to church, etc. No, it’s doing good to others. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39. This is the very way Jesus lived.

If Jesus Christ told us, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), then when we love, doing good to others, as Christ did, we thus resemble God and bring glory to His name. Jesus continued saying, “The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” (John 14:10) The Father living in Jesus did His work, namely laying down His life for sinners, through serving, healing, and dying. Thi is what it means to be Godlike… Loving others, doing good to others, for He is love. He is Good!

Calvin Quoted #2 – The Source of Good Works

Election is the source of and beginning of all good works.”

- John Calvin

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Calvin Quoted #1 – on Good Works

I just found a bunch of wonderful quotes from Calvin and I hope to share many of them in the following days… Here’s our first one.

However defective the works of believers may be, they are nevertheless pleasing to God through the intervention of pardon… Reward is given to their efforts, even though imperfect, exactly as if thy had fully discharged their duty.”

- John Calvin

I personally love those words “pleasing to God through the intervention of pardon.” Oh, how sweet is the forgiveness and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ! By grace our imperfectons are made useful, our blemishes are covered by His purity, and glory is brought to His name.

Worship Matters

I thought that I’d share Bob Kauflin’s definition of a worship leader (er… uh… Music Guy).

A faithful worship leader magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by skillfully combining God’s Word with music, thereby motivating the gathered church to proclaim the gospel, to cherish God’s presence, and to live for God’s glory.”

The Worship Leader

So I’ve been enjoying reading Bob Kauflin’s book, Worship Matters, which is directed to worship (in song) leaders.  Yes, I guess that’s what we have to call them. The truth is that all who are involved in the church service are our leaders in worship, that is, the preacher, the one who prays, the one who plays the guitar or organ, etc. I imagine the head pastor should be called the worship leader if indeed you are looking for someone to fill that role. Anyway, I did enjoy the quote Kauflin shared by D. A. Carson.

I would abolish forever the notion of a ‘worship leader.’ If you want to have a ’song leader’ who leads the part of  the worship, just as a preacher leads part of the worship, that’s fine. But to call the person a ‘worship leader’ takes away the idea that by preaching, teaching, listening to and devouring the Word of God, and applying it to our lives, we are somehow not worshipping God.”

D. A. Carson via Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters

I don’t want to be picky about the terms that we use these days, and I imagine it’s nothing to divide over, but they seem to be right. We are to worship God in all the things we do, and even through our actions, our loving our neighbor or enemies, we can be leading others in worship; in prizing God more than anything else. We probably are stuck with this term “worship leader” but let us not forget that we should all be leading others in worship of God, with or without a guitar in hand.

Isaiah’s Cry

Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,

that the mountains might quake at your presence—

as when fire kindles brushwood

and the fire causes water to boil—

to make your name known to your adversaries,

and that the nations might tremble at your presence!”

Isaiah 64:1-2

R. C. Sproul on Adoration in Prayer

Adoration is not merely a brief preface or introduction to prayer, it is the very heart of it… When the soul is moved to adoration it is usually because the mind has been contemplating the excellence of God… However, as we contemplate and adore the riches of God, we cannot help but be aware of the stark contrast between the fullness of His excellency and the corresponding lack of it in ourselves. Such awareness leads us from adoration to confession… Adoration of God, like the Law of God, acts as a mirror to show us the blemishes of our character and drive us to the posture of contrition.”

- R. C. Sproul, The Souls Quest for God, pg 193-194

I enjoyed the sentence that stated, “Adoration of God, like the Law of God, acts as a mirror to show our blemishes…” It made me stop and think for a moment. It is the  Law of God that reveals the perfect narure of God himself. So if the law reveals our utter depravity, so too when we bow before Him in adoration, His glory reveals our sin and lackings. As we preach the truth of who God is to ourselves we will be humbled in adoration and driven to confession.

R. C. Sproul on Pure Worship

As long as we entertain delusions of our own merit or compliment ourselves on our own contributions to salvation, we block our hearts from pure worship.”

- R. C. Sproul, The Souls Quest for God, pg. 187

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

John Piper on the Soul’s Delight

Here’s a scary bur realistic quote for us all… Chew on it and go to God in repentance.

The true dimensions of a soul are seen in its delights. Not what we dutifully will but what we passionately want reveals our excellence or evil.”

- John Piper, The Pleasures of God

As I read this, I found even more that I must be totally dependent upon the gospel  for every good work that might flow from my soul. Jesus is Beautiful! Truely beautiful!!! And we are His! We are new creations in Him. As we consider His sacrifice for us may we be filled with delight to proclaim his excellencies. That His name may be exalted in this fallen world.

John Newton via Jerry Bridges

At the end of his life, Newton said to a friend, ‘My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.’”

- taken from Respectable Sins